Football

SKW held log leaders Black Africa to a 2-2 draw in an entertaining match at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Friday night.

In the end a draw was probably a fair result, although both teams had numerous chances to win the game.

All the goals came in a pulsating first half of frenetic action. Black Africa went on the attack first with Willy Stephanus and Marco van Wyk coming close early on.

But SKW took the lead against the run of play when a long throw in by Elvis Tjivisera was headed on and Joslin Kamutuka stabbed the loose ball into the far post.

Orlando Pirates and African Stars meet in the Katutura derby at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Saturday afternoon. For once, the outcome will not have much bearing on the title chase as both teams are way off the pace, but as usual a lot of needle and drama can be expected when these two Katutura giants meet.

Stars won their first round encounter 2-0 through goals by Tara Katupose and Rudi Louw and are currently fourth on the log, 11 points behind leaders Black Africa, while Pirates are way down in eighth position, a full 16 points behind Black Africa.

The national women’s Under 17 soccer team departs for Johannesburg tomorrow as they prepare to take on South Africa in their second-leg 2012 World Cup qualifiers.

The team which played to a 1-1 draw at home against South Africa a fortnight ago, this week welcomed back captain Lovisa Mulunga, who was part of the senior national team that were defeated 5-2 by Tanzania in Dar es Salaam last weekend.

The second round of the Namibia Premier League resumes on Friday night when log leaders Black Africa take on second-placed SKW at the Sam Nujoma Stadium.

Black Africa dominated the first round of the league and after 11 matches have built up a massive 10-point lead at the top of the log. They in fact only dropped four points along the way and are still unbeaten with nine wins and two draws.

Despite their dominance, club chairman Cassius Moetie said they would not take their opponents lightly.

The Brave Gladiators’ coach, Jacqui Shipanga said the national women side’s loss to Tanzania could be blamed on the players’ lifestyles.

The Gladiators lost 5-2 in Tanzania on Saturday in the second leg of the 2012 African Women Championships qualifiers. They had lost the home leg of the qualifier 2-0 a fortnight ago.

“The team played well for most of the match but were completely outplayed in the last 10 minutes of the match, it's like we totally switched off,” Shipanga said.

Black Africa FC will travel to Walvis Bay this weekend on a tour that is meant to strengthen the morale and spirit of the team ahead of the second half of the MTC Premiership 2011/12 season.

This was announced by the team’s chairman, Cassius Moetie on Thursday.

“Our team building tour to Walvis Bay is part of the partnership between Black Africa and our principal sponsor FNB,” Moetie said.

The Brave Gladiators will have it all to do when they take on Tanzania on Saturday in Dar es Salaam in their African Women Championship qualifiers second leg.

The Gladiators are trailing 2-0 after the first leg match played on 14 January in Windhoek and will have the odds stacked against them ahead of the return leg.

Gladiators coach Jacqueline Shipanga said the team will include a lot of youngsters for the encounter at Tanzania as the NFA women’s desk looks ahead to FIFA’s Women U20 and U17 World Cup qualifiers to be played next month.

Ramblers is struggling to keep its head above water after the club cited financial problems as their reasons for selling star striker Sadney Urikhob to Civics for N$25 000 recently.

Ramblers chairman, Harald Hecht confirmed this to Namibia Sport.
“Due to financial constraints we have had to sell him to Civics. We would have liked to keep him but we had to face the reality of our financial situation,” Hecht said.

“We have been relying entirely on the monthly grant we receive from MTC and that is not enough if you have no other sponsors.”

Ramblers’ national striker Sadney Urikhob has joined Civics for a reported fee of N$25 000.

Civics’ manager Paul Stramis said they had bought Urikhob for an ‘undisclosed fee,’ but according to Civics’ Facebook page he was bought for N$25 000.

Several clubs had been keen to sign the young striker, with African Stars, Orlando Pirates and Tigers reportedly also chasing his signature.

In the end though the Civilians got his signature for what is one of the biggest transfer fees in the recent history of the Namibia Premier League.

Namibia and South Africa drew 1-1 in an evenly contested Women’s U17 World Cup qualifying match at the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Saturday.

Abrille Beukes put Namibia ahead just before halftime with a great 20m strike, but South Africa equalised from a freekick by Caren van Ryneveldt on 75m.

With time running out, SA substitute Shenell Jacobs found the back of the net but her effort was disallowed for offside.

Both sides struggled in the rainy conditions and the match was initially not much of a spectacle.